Last Sunday, 1/14/2018, I participated in a prayer walk around several national monuments in Washington DC.

The point of the walk was to pray about the social unrest that made itself so very evident last year in the tearing down of monuments and in the racial tensions that were felt all over the country, as well as to remember those who fought in and lost their lives in the Vietnam War.

We started our journey at Arlington Cemetery, where we visited the grave site of our prayer walk leader's father, which happened to be very near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. We arrived at the site just at 2:00, not meaning to be there in time for the changing of the guards, but getting there just in time for that special event. We felt that it was a special blessing from the Lord to be able to watch that sacred event.

We prayed for the families and legacies of those who have fought in all the wars this country has participated in and also for the families for those who may not have died in battle but were honored to be buried in Arlington because of their courageous service.

We also prayed prayers of repentance for current feelings of separation and a unrest around the Civil War.

Next we drove to the Vietnam War Memorial and visited the statues honoring the nurses who worked to save the lives of so many men and who were unable to save so many. I prayed for the broken lives of those who returned from that war to face the unwelcome jeers that greeted them and also the terrible memories that they have had to carry with them; for peace and healing of old and hidden wounds.

The last memorial we visited was the Martin Luther King Memorial, where we gave homage to his life's work and the sacrifice he made to help bring people together in peace and love. We consciously read the many quotes that line the walls of the memorial, agreeing in prayer with them.

It was mighty cold that day and each of sacrificed comfort to complete our mission, but don't think any of us would have missed the opportunity to participate in what we felt was a sacred mission.

So why did I include this on my website blog? If you're a prayer walker then a walking or hiking stick can be a great accessory and a custom painted one can be wonderful witnessing tool!